Gotham Nights
by freakwithamouth
Summary: The darkness of this city can be dangerous, specially if you are policeman. This short story follows the point of view from one of those heroes that stands in the darkness... protecting whatever is left of Gotham.


The clock chimes reached the twelfth position. It was the moment when night was hovering over the city. I knew this meant a lot to the citizens of this city. Twilight could be life or death in these alleys. When you close your eyes, and see nothing but a consciousness that says "Get out of here" through dark whispers ... we all fear that awareness. It is also true that those of us who have grown up in this city know how to live without worry and at the same time fear the whole world. Here we consider it our superpower.

Perhaps this idea of powers protects us at the same time it curses us. Have you ever thought about it? We give thanks for being alive but at the same time we fear the consequences of our actions - what a great irony gives us this existence. I really become a poet when I have to patrol the streets on spring nights, or at least that says the calendar, because it's really cold in this damn city. I do not see anything and I'm more afraid than the day my parents left me alone in the mall, who knows the lunatics that lurk in these avenues? The only thing my trainer told me in the police corps was "You should have thrown your resume at Metropolis". Good advice, but not for this moment.

I talked about my parents, they were good people but they were consumed by the jaws of this city - just like all my acquaintances. Actually, the only sane person I've seen in my last 30 years of life (And I´m 32!) has been Commissioner James Gordon, a crazy but brave man. He seems to know all the secrets of this city and not be afraid to face reality, or at least seems to hide his fear on a layer of reality that protects us all. That is the superpower of which I spoke to you, if you grew up in this city you do not fear death because you live in it. And that's why I became a cop, I'm tired of living in a constant chill. I wanted to face the darkness that made my childhood the most terrible in the world.

The police in this city are corrupt to the core. But I will always remember James Gordon's message when I arrive: "Boy, welcome to the war zone, here you will see things you have never imagined. The first time you have the misfortune to face monsters, your legs will tremble and you will not move. You will feel scared and it is a normal thing that is part of this city. But the second time believe me that you do not hesitate to push the trigger because your instincts will tell you that you must do it. I have read your file and how you have grown up in this city. For your past I know you have a bright future, do not fail me. " That was the first and last time I talked to him, many people have been against him during the last few years. And it is another foundation of the destruction of this city. Of the Civil War that nobody wants to talk about, except me, I am nobody.

Maybe I have not made the best decisions in my life and you think I should flee from this den I call home. But a part of me is attached to the soul that surrounds the centre of this rotten swamp that some call city. Maniacs may blow her up almost every week, but if anything, I've learned, if we do not stay and defend her, we will not have anything. So, I will always be here and give my arm to cheer for the people of Gotham. Because I am part of Gotham and they love me ... they need me.

Beautiful reflection in the middle of the patrol, this motivates me to continue. But wanting to protect the people of this city will not help me when a giant crocodile catches me and breaks me in half. Right now, I'm getting a radio signal, it does not seem serious - it's a theft in a jewellery store - but in this city, you never know. Maybe I'm going to a robbery and the thief develops pyromantic skills (It would be a sight worth seeing). I should head to the action scene.

I do not take long to get to the store because the streets of Gotham are abandoned at midnight, the fear lurks. What I see is that the jewellery is destroyed. Whoever did the robbery knew very well what was coming. They have taken all the jewels and broken the security cameras. Although there is still a trace of the smoke they have used. I must be careful, because somebody can stay in the store. I head to the back with a silence that surrounds me all around, the haze that reaches my knees is chilling. All the way I'm walking on broken glass, they have not left a diamond in the store, the owner will be happy, I do not know who it will be but it sure is some Mafia family. The amount of violence in this place is not done in any establishment, this is only seen in the gang war of Gotham City.

I enter the back room; the mist has led me there. The door is half open and you can hear noises that cannot be distinguished. Extreme nervousness comes over me and I quickly pick up my weapon, approaching the door. I am ready to enter and shoot anyone inside, I deserve all the acknowledgments of the commissioner and help the peace of this city. So, I then kick the door and shout "Gotham PD!"… but when I'm inside, I do not see anything ... it's a deeper darkness even than the streets. I cannot stand the idea of darkness, I may be a person grown in the streets, yet I know someone is laughing at me. So, I quickly proceed to shoot with my pistol. I do not care who is in the room, maybe what the commissary of the legs trembling is a lie, because I feel in control and in fusion with the darkness, or that´s what I believe.

After firing the first bullet I get no reaction, so I repeat my phrase "Gotham PD !". And the only thing I feel is that the darkness is getting bigger and it's behind me. I turn and see that the door is closed, a shadow has been placed in front of it, it is watching me. I try to say, "Listen to me, I'm a law enforcement officer and I have a loaded gun. You'd better not do anything you regret".

Right now, I only know that the commissioner was right because my legs do not respond. Something is possessing me. I do not dare to pull the trigger. The shadow is approaching me and the only thing that occurs to me is to close my eyes and shout ... a big loud shout in the middle of the dark room.

The next time I opened my eyes it was on the outside of the jewellery store. I do not know how I had escape or where was the shadow... until I looked in the distance, on the roof opposite, watching me. He's telling me something, he left me a note stuck in the gun. The note that reads "Next time you open your eyes". And the worst thing of all is that he might be right. But who wants to see and above all accept the shadows? Maybe I'm not a Gotham citizen as I thought. Maybe I´m not the hope that the person needs. Instead we might need someone just like the person who has written this note… A shadow that we cannot explain, who is always there watching us, perhaps protecting us. There lies the beauty of Gotham, someday there will come a being that will raise the voice in this city from the shadows and I will be there to see it. And if I´m lucky stand by his side.


End file.
